The raw material for the cotton production, the cotton fibers, comes from the cotton plant, which is a shrub. Due to its natural fibers, cotton is a very common material in many manufacturing industries, for example in fashion, work wear, home textiles and industrial cloths. The cotton plant belongs to mallow plants. The natural cotton fibers are extracted from the seed fibers of the plant. The seeds of the cotton plant themselves, however, are poisonous.

 

Cotton gets its name because of its long fiber tufts in the plant’s fruits. Cotton is a very absorbent material. It can soak in more than 80 per cent of its own weight. That means, however, that cotton fibers need a lot of time to dry.

 

Typical cotton producing countries are Asia and Australia, and various countries in South America. Today the production of cotton can also be found on other continents. Countries such as Pakistan, China and the US have increased their global importance in the cotton market and in the cotton producing industry. Cotton is also cultivated in India. When it comes to production amounts, China is in a world leading position with about 25 per cent, followed by the US and India with roughly 20 and 16 per cent (2005 figures).

 

The history of cotton and cotton products is several thousand years old. Almost thousands of years ago, cotton was used for the manufacture of textiles – especially in tropical regions. In Babylon, cotton was even called white gold. In Mexico, archaeologists found cotton pieces which are older than 7000 years. The earliest writings on cotton come from India, dated around 1500 BC. Due to the long distance trade of cotton in the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, the rising number of cotton wholesalers as well as more sophisticated production technology, cotton was more often replaced by linen, hemp and flax. However, until the 20th century, cotton has been the number one export product in Latin America.

Cotton is mostly grown in monocultures and very sensitive when it comes to varmints. That is why fertilizers and insecticides are essential. The biggest competitor for the natural cotton material is artificial fibre and fabric. There are more and more textile producers which replace the natural material and the high cotton quality by artificial textile fibers.

 

In this B2B textile and leather portal you will find information on cotton fabric wholesale, on international manufacturers and suppliers.